Captured
by melissaadams22
Summary: Lucas and Kristin get an unexpected visitor while waiting for Nathan to return home and what will happen when Nathan does return home? PG for mild implied violence.


Captured  
  
By: Melissa Adams  
  
Disclaimer: SeaQuest and all its characters belong to Amblin Entertainment.Â  I am only borrowing these characters for a while I am done. This is a work of amateur fan fiction and no infringement on the owner's copyright is meant  
  
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Lucas woke up early on that last Saturday morning of shore leave.Â  He was careful not to make too much noise as he got cleaned up and dressed as he knew that his mom, Doctor Kristin Westphalen was asleep only a few doors down.Â  Today was an exciting day for both he and his mom as it meant the return of his dad, Captain Nathan Bridger.Â  They had all three come out to the island that was now their second home, while their first home; the UEO's flagship SeaQuest was in dry dock for three weeks.Â  Three days ago Nathan had been called out to a meeting with the UEO brass and was supposed to return today so they could spend their last two days together before returning to the boat.Â  He had just finished tying his tennis shoes when he heard his mom calling him downstairs for breakfast, "What's she doing up so early" he wondered.  
  
He grabbed his light fall jacket and headed out of the room and downstairs, only pausing at the door long enough to hit the light switch.Â  He heard his mom in the kitchen and took the opportunity to jump down the last three steps leading to the dining room, his parents didn't like him to do that in case he got hurt or something, but truth to tell it was fun.Â  Lucas had just landed and spun around when he heard, "Lucas!"  
  
He turned quickly and found his mom looking at him in somewhat disbelief that he had just done the sanctioned action.Â  She stood there dressed in a white turtleneck and jeans with a jean vest thrown over the turtleneck, she looked good he decided.Â  However he didn't think that would be the appropriate response to the current look he was getting, instead he hung his head and made his way to the table.Â  He pulled out his mom's chair and waited for her to sit before taking a place beside her and the impending lecture to begin, he didn't have to wait long.  
  
"Lucas, honestly how many times have your dad and I told you not to jump those stairs?Â  You're going to get hurt.Â  I know you don't think you will but honestly, if you land the wrong way you could do anything from spraining to actually breaking your ankle and who knows what else.Â  You really ought to know better."  
  
He reached across the table for the milk as he dumped another spoonful of sugar on his cereal and said, "I'm sorry mom.Â  It is just fun that's all and I'm being careful.Â  I wouldn't do it if I didn't know I wouldn't get hurt."  
  
Kristin shook her head as she ate a bite of the fruit cup she was having for breakfast before answering him.Â  "No one knows they aren't going to get hurt.Â  Besides it only takes one time and I know how you'll act when you end up hurting yourself and I have to force you to lay around and take it easy, you'll make me miserable.Â  So do me a favor, don't do it until at least your dad gets home and then you can make him miserable, okay?"  
  
He nodded and spooned some cereal into his mouth before asking his mom what time his dad would get home.Â  "He should be here in about 4 hours so you get to help me tidy up before then."  
  
"Oh joy, just what I wanted to do.Â  Besides it's not untidy, it's just lived in."  
  
Kristin smiled and looked out at the living room and the family room and smiled at the clothes thrown over the furniture, the empty food containers where she and Lucas had ordered take out the night before, computer parts and games scattered over every conceivable surface and notebooks and papers strewn on top of that, "Yeah, lived in, sure" she thought.Â  "It looks lived in all right Lucas, lived in by a couple of busy pigs or something and we have to get it cleaned up before Nathan gets home, so hurry up will you?Â  I'm not tackling this alone."  
  
He smiled and picked up his bowl and began to drink his milk.Â  Lucas knew his mom hated that but figured it was a safe bet with as much work as they had to get done before his dad got home.  
  
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Two and a half hours later Lucas fell back in a chair and heaved a sigh or exhaustion and relief, it was finally over.Â  He and his mom had started out to tidy up but had ended up cleaning everything in sight, or so he thought.Â  He let a smile come to his face as he silently wondered that if Darwin had chosen to show up during that time whether he would have gotten dusted too.Â  Lucas had tried several times to say they were done and head to one of the bathrooms to get cleaned up only to have to come back downstairs when he heard, "Oh Lucas how could we have missed this" come from the living room.Â  Every muscle in his body ached and he wondered if maybe his mom wasn't trying to wear him out so he'd go to sleep quickly and quietly while his mom and dad spent the night alone.Â  Opening his eyes he caught site of his mom, finally standing back to look at a bookcase they had just moved.Â  She had spent the last hour finding particles of dust in practically someplace that no one had a reason to be looking.Â  Standing up he said, "Are we done mom?Â  I mean can I get cleaned up or did you find more dust somewhere?"  
  
Kristin turned and gave her son one the glares that he had seen quite a few times that told him that he had better go and get busy or else it was likely he would find himself on the receiving end of one of her famous lectures.Â  He nodded and then bounded up the steps two at a time, despite the shocked looks he knew his mom was throwing up at him.Â  Arriving at the top of the stairs he headed for his bedroom and grabbed his clothes, that he had already put out on the bed almost an hour ago at the first try at taking the shower.Â  Grabbing the clothes and some other things he headed down the hall toward the shower and had just stepped into the head when he heard the doorbell ring.Â  Knowing his mom was downstairs he went about taking his shower.  
  
Lucas stepped gently under the gentle spray of the hot water and just stood there a minute just letting the water relax his tired muscles.Â  He began to soap up his hair and scrub it when he heard the bathroom door open.Â  Soap was in his hair and he didn't catch more than a glimpse of a shadow in the room but he yelled out anyway, "I'm in the shower, whose there?"  
  
Suddenly the shower door opened and Lucas found himself staring at the business end of a hand revolver.Â  He felt whoever was at the other end of the gun, he couldn't see because of the soap stinking his eyes.Â  "Hey let me wash the soap out of my eyes would ya?"Â  He heard the man grunt to what Lucas thought meant a yes so he leaned his head under the spray of water and quickly washed the soap out of his eyes, just barely before he was again yanked out of the shower.Â  He could see a little better but the soap still stung his eyes and ran down his face, but he could make out the figure pointing the gun and didn't recognize the man.Â   
  
It was a man of about 20 or so and about the Captain's height and weight with brown bushy hair.Â  His face was contorted into a mask of determination and he pointed towards the door with the revolver and Lucas headed that way, he had to make sure his mom was okay.Â  He paused long enough to wrap a towel around his waist while asking the man the obvious, "Who are you?Â  What do you want here?"Â  The man didn't say anything and just pushed Lucas out the door and down the hallway.  
  
The young man took it carefully down the stairs because the soap was still running into his face, despite his best efforts to wipe it out of his face.Â  He headed for the living room when the man indicated with the gun.Â  Just as he stepped into the room his face dropped as he caught site of the man standing above his mom.Â  He had another hand gun like the first man's but he also had another one strapped to his side.Â  He slowly walked up to his mom and she stood as he approached and hugged him protectively, while at the same time trying to avoid the soap in his hair.Â  Lucas hugged his mom and then stepped back and looked right at the man holding the gun and obviously the master mind behind whatever was going on here.Â   
  
The other man stood about Lucas' height and weight the only major difference was that he had dark black hair as opposed to Lucas' light blond hair.Â  The man took a step forward and glared at the other young man and said, "Hi Lucas, it's been a long time."  
  
Lucas wiped another stream of soap out of his eyes and said, "Michael what do you want now?Â  Why are you here?"  
  
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Michael shrank back, playing the shocked and hurt individual.Â  He leaned forward a little and smiled while saying, "What do I want, how can you not know what I want Lucas?Â  I want the same thing I wanted before and I want you to help me get it or" and he let his voice trail off while looking over at Kristin.Â  Lucas jumped forward in front of his mom, "No Michael, leave her out of this.Â  It is between you and me.Â  Let her go and we'll talk."  
  
The young hoodlum appeared to think about this a moment before breaking into a large grin.Â  He came over and draped his arm over Lucas' shoulders and steered him away from his mom's protection, or portrait of protection anyway.Â  They walked out on the back porch and Michael looked out over the ocean before addressing Lucas.Â  "Luke, you have really done quite well for yourself.Â  I'm very impressed and that is one of the reasons I chose you to help me.Â  I need money Luke, lots and lots of money and I know that you can get into the financial files and get it for me with no problem, and that is exactly what you're going to do.Â  Now I know all about you and your mom, Doctor Westphalen there and your dad, Captain Bridger.Â  I also know that what you and your mom will want to do is keep me busy until time for your dad to get home and intercede, but let me assure you buddy, that is not going to happen.Â  I work for a very powerful group of people who want this money even more than I do, so they have taken the liberty of detaining dear old daddy for a few hours yet."Â   
  
He came over and began leading the boy back in the house.Â  "I'll tell you what I'm going to do though Luke, I am going to allow you to sit here for the next hour or so, that way you'll see that I am telling the truth about Bridger, he will not come to your rescue and after that hour you are going to get on that laptop of yours and get me my money.Â  After that we'll be gone and you can put this unpleasant business behind you."Â  He stepped forward and stared right into Lucas' eyes, eyes that were tearing up from the amount of soap that was still in them.Â  "Lucas, think back to college, you know I'm serious.Â  You also know that I am perfectly capable of harming you and your mom if you don't do what I want.Â  Think about that buddy boy."Â  Lucas nodded and came over to sit down next to his mom.  
  
The hoodlums went to stand by the back door and took turns looking at the horizon and the prisoners.Â  Kristin draped her arm over Lucas' shoulders and pulled him close to her, she needed to find out what her son knew about this but didn't want to talk in front of the two criminals.Â  She glanced over at the boy and quickly saw the reason that she might be able to use to talk to him for a few minutes, his eyes were watering but not from crying.Â  Gripping his face in her hands she said, "Lucas turn your face towards me a moment."  
  
Lucas turned his watering and pained face towards her.Â  His eyes really hurt from constantly trying to keep the soap out of them and it was getting harder to see all the time.Â  Looking at his mom she had a slight haze around her at the moment.Â  Kristin stared at his eyes a minute and then stood up, "Excuse me but we have a problem."  
  
Michael laughed and came over and stood toe to toe with the doctor.Â  "We don't have a problem, you and Luke have the problem lady.Â  What do you want?"  
  
Kristin squared her shoulders and looked at the young man.Â  "When you pulled Lucas from the shower he wasn't allowed to get the soap out of his hair and it turn it is running down into his eyes, constantly.Â  It is causing him a lot of problems and could ultimately make it impossible to see at all, for a while.Â  I need to irrigate the soap out and to do that I need my bag and the kitchen sink, immediately."  
  
Michael didn't have any compassion for this boy or this woman and normally he would have just let him suffer but the truth was he needed the boy to be able to see and if he couldn't that was seriously going to screw with his plan.Â  "Okay do what you gotta do, but no tricks.Â  Both Bruce and I will be at the doors so there will be no way out of the kitchen, got it lady?"  
  
Kristin nodded and reached down and grasped Lucas' hand in hers and began leading him to the kitchen.Â  She stopped momentarily in the hall and grabbed her bag before continuing into the kitchen.Â  After they were safely inside she stopped and told Lucas to sit down while she got ready and told him to tell her who these men were and what they wanted.Â  Lucas sat down in the chair and rested his head in his hands a moment, the truth was his eyes and even his head was killing him at the moment.Â  "Well mom I don't know about Bruce but the other man is Michael Salson and he and I went to college together.Â  He's a very smart person, although behind where I was at that time.Â  He was doing okay in classes until he was caught trying to bust into financial records and divert money to projects that weren't exactly humanitary, if you catch my drift.Â  He came to me when I was working on the vocorder and wanted me to develop it and sell it to fund an illegal computer hacking firm and was very upset when I refused.Â  I haven't seen him in about ten years and had heard that he was in prison, although at the moment that is not the case" he felt his mom grasp his hand and stood up to go with her.Â  She led him over to a stool that she had placed at the kitchen sink, although to him it might have been a giant brown blob; who knew.Â  As he sat down he asked the obvious question, "What are you going to do mom?"  
  
Before she answered him she went over to the man, Bruce that was outside the door and by the chairs and said, "Go up and get his clothes out of the bathroom and a clean towel."  
  
Bruce was surprised at her issuing orders to him but he spotted Michael shaking his head in the affirmative on the other side of the room and left to get what the woman wanted.Â  Kristin came back into the kitchen and over to the sink and stood in front of her son, "Lucas I need to rinse the soap out of your eyes with sterile water and then put some medicated drops in them.Â  How do your eyes feel right now?"  
  
He scrunched his eyes shut a moment and then said, "They sting pretty bad mom.Â  I tried to wash the soap out of them before Bruce brought me down here but he wouldn't let me.Â  It is getting fuzzier and fuzzier all the time though".  
  
The doctor nodded and moved to stand next to Lucas and said, "Okay I want you to lean your head back as far as you can."Â  Lucas leaned back and felt his mom touch his left cheek.Â  She picked up a squeeze bottle of sterile water based cleansing solution and held his eye open between her thumb and forefinger.Â  "Now this is going to hurt a little as the soap comes to the surface but I need you to try and keep from closing your eyes, okay?"Â  The boy gave a slight nod and waited.Â  Kristin poised the bottle about an inch above his open eye and then gently squeezed one drop into his eye.Â  Out of reflex his eye twitched and tried to close, but Kristin held it open with her fingers.Â  She waited a moment and repeated it again, this time two drops.Â  After another moment she let loose of his eye and told him to roll slightly so she could rinse that side of his face under the sink faucet.Â  He did as he was told and his mom gently splashed water on his face.Â  Once she was done he began to bring his hand up to rub his eye only to have her stop him, "No Lucas, don't rub it.Â  Keep your eye closed until I tell you to open it."Â Â  He nodded and closed his eyes and then stood up as his mom said she had to move the stool to the other side.Â   
  
Once the stool was in place she turned back to her son and said, "Okay open your eyes."Â  He opened them and found that the sight in his treated eye was definitely better, although still a little off but not much.Â  He nodded and came over to sit on the stool again and endured as Kristin treated the other eye.Â  After he opened his eyes that time his mom looked at him and said, "Lucas look straight at me for a second".Â  He looked his mom right in the eyes as she studied his face.Â  "Very good but your pupil is still dilated a little, it will clear up after I get the medicine in it though.Â  Go sit at the table and I'll be there in a second."Â  He stood and went to sit at the table as his mom came over to stand beside him.Â  "Okay Lucas same as before, try not to close your eyes until I'm done.Â  Why don't you tell me what these men want why we do this" she asked trying to think of some way to keep his mind off what she was going to be doing.Â  The drops were necessary but they were going to hurt quite a lot, since his eyes were so dilated from the soap being in them as long as it had.  
  
Lucas leaned his head back and again felt his mom grip his eye as he said, "Well what they want is basically simple, they want me to get them money from the financial records.Â  He said that the people he worked for had arranged it so that dad wouldn't get here in time to help us, but I...OUCH that hurts!"  
  
Kristin patted his shoulder and said, "I know Lucas but trust me, it will be over in a minute.Â  Go on with your story while I do your other eye."Â  As Kristin again gripped his face he said, "There's not much else to tell, he said if I didn't do it then he would hurt either you or me.Â  Don't worry mom, I won't let that happen.Â  I'll think of something."  
  
His mom had to smile as she had the bottle poised over his eye, "So much like Nathan" she thought.Â  She squeezed the drops in her son's eye as he flinched and tried to get away but she had a good hold on him, "Okay Lucas all done.Â  Get dressed while I clean up and we talk.Â  Lucas listen to me don't think of anything, I want you to do exactly what they want and get them out of here.Â  From what I have been able to pick up from this Michael he doesn't think to highly of you and wouldn't need much of an excuse to hurt you.Â  You can make it seem like he's getting what he wants and then turn it around, right?"  
  
Lucas eagerly pulled his pants on and said, "Of course, what's wrong with me?Â  I can put a capture on the transfer, why didn't I think of that?"  
  
Kristin approached him and said, "Relax Lucas, you have to be careful here all right.Â  As for the answer to your question I suspect the answer lies in the headache you are trying to ignore so here" she held out her hand that contained two small white pills "take these and they should help"  
  
He accepted them and went to get a glass of water.Â  Swallowing the pills he threw a smile over to his mom and headed directly for Michael.Â  Kristin put her stuff away but couldn't take her mind off her son and the activities he was doing.Â  This Michael was a dangerous character and if given the chance she would do everything she could to get him away from Lucas.Â  She picked up her bag and started to head out when she caught sight of the chocolate cake on the counter and had a thought.Â  Smiling to herself she headed back for the counter and a plan.  
  
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Kristin gently sliced through the thick cake with the knife and sectioned off three pieces.Â  She walked over to the cupboard and retrieved three plates and headed back toward the cake.Â  One of the few things she knew about young people, and especially people like Lucas and Michael that were out to prove something to themselves and the world, they would hardly let one do something without the other one doing it too; they were exceedingly competitive.Â  The problem was going to be Bruce, she doubted that she could get him to eat anything but maybe just maybe she could maneuver lemonade or something into him.Â  Gently she placed the cake on the plates and then carefully moved her body to block the view of the door, if someone came in she didn't want to be seen acting right away.Â  Slowly she opened the drawer in front of her and retrieved the surprise she had placed there just a few minutes earlier.Â  After finishing she picked up the tray that held the three pieces of cake and headed out to the living room.Â  She nodded to Bruce as she passed him by the stairs.Â  Coming over to the couch she set the tray down on the coffee table and looked at Lucas and Michael hunched over the laptop in the corner, "Lucas can you stop that a minute?Â  You need to eat something after that medicine I gave you."  
  
Lucas paused in his typing and looked up at Michael who looked over at his mom.Â  "Come on Michael I can be done in a few minutes and it will take it that long for the last transfer to go to the first stop, I'll be ready when it is."Â  Michael slowly nodded and watched carefully as Lucas headed over to the couch and sat down.Â  His mom handed him a plate and then picked up another one and sat down beside him.Â  Michael watched them for a few moments when he noticed the other plate sitting on the tray and began to remember that he hadn't felt much like eating on the boat ride out here.Â  He looked over at Bruce who only smiled and gripped his gun a little tighter and Michael headed over to the table and picked up the other piece of cake and a fork.Â  He took his snack and headed to stand beside the other man that was keeping a steady eye on the group.Â  Kristin had to smile to herself as she watched Michael devour the cake and lick his lips, "Just like a kid, always hungry" she thought to herself.Â  She smiled over at Lucas as he finished the last bite of his cake and sat the plate down and headed back for his laptop.Â  Michael threw his plate on the floor and came over and stood behind him.Â  By Kristin's calculations they had about half an hour before he should start to be very uncomfortable, all she could do now was wait and then when it happened try to convince Michael to let her "help" him.  
  
Michael stood behind Lucas as he transferred funds from one bank to another and then back and again so it would be impossible to track.Â  He was surprised to know the truth, he expected the computer geek to try something funny but so far he had done exactly what Michael had told him.Â  "Good, I really don't want to hurt anybody" he told himself.Â  Suddenly he felt an odd rolling in his stomach and clutched at the momentary pain, "Must be all the stress" he told himself.Â  Several minutes later the pain came again, but much worse and he gripped the back of the chair in desperation to stay upright.Â  Bruce looked over concerned but stayed where he was but the woman on the sofa stood up quickly while Lucas looked up and said, "Something wrong Michael?"  
  
Michael shook his head and said with some effort, "No just keep working.Â  You are running out of time Luke, so hurry it up."  
  
Lucas just nodded his head and went back to typing on the keyboard.Â  Michael slowly started to straighten up when a giant wave of nausea hit him and he leaned over and threw up into the trash can beside the desk.Â  He felt another wave of nausea hit him and he gripped the can as those in the room looked on with curiosity.Â  He spent a good five minutes loosing his cookies in the can and finally felt his stomach settle slightly.Â  As he straightened up he caught site of the woman heading his way.Â  He turned and tried to focus on her as she came to stop only a few inches from him, "What do you want now lady?"  
  
Kristin forced a look on compassion on her face and said gently, "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yes I am just..." and suddenly again he found himself with his face buried in the trash can.Â  After the episode passed he felt the woman place her hand on his back and said, "Sure you are, that's why you're puking your guts out in a trash can.Â  Come over to the sofa and sit down and I will see what's wrong with you."  
  
He gave her a disbelieving look before puking again.Â  After he was done and resting his head on his edge of the can said, "Sure you will lady, why do you care anyway?Â  You couldn't care less and probably wish I would just go ahead and die and get it over with so you and Luke here can get on with your lives."  
  
Lucas cast a look at his mom a moment before he continued typing and saw her stand a little taller and get into her full "doctor" mode.Â  Kristin stood up straighter and looked directly at the form clutching the trash can and did her best to let the compassion seep into her words.Â  "Michael, you obviously don't know me very well.Â  Yes, you're right when you say I just wish you would go away but I am also a doctor, a healer.Â  I have an obligation to help anyone that is sick and hurt and right at this moment you're quite obviously sick so why don't you quite being an ungrateful and mean spirited child and let me help you.Â  The sooner you're well the sooner you can get done and get out of here.Â  Your other man can watch Lucas and what am I going to do to you while you still have him and are armed?Â  So what do you say young man, are you going to let me help or not, because my compassion is only going to go so far today."  
  
A small smile crossed Lucas' face as he watched the other man receive the dressing down from his mom, she could be dangerous when her temper was involved or when faced with a rather "high spirited" patient and right now Michael was being very high spirited.  
  
Michael stood up and looked the woman up and down trying to gauge whether she was serious or not, but the fact was he was sick; from what he didn't know but hopefully something that could be over fairly quickly.Â  He stepped around the young woman and stumbled over to the other man and spoke a few brief words to him and watched as he walked over to stand behind Lucas.Â  When he was in place Michael slowly stepped over to the couch and sat down.Â  Kristin smiled down at Lucas and walked over to the couch, after grabbing her bag off the table by the door.  
  
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Michael again had his head in the trash can that had been moved by the couch where he was sitting, or supposed to be sitting.Â  Kristin watched the young man in the back of her mind and thought to herself, "He shouldn't be reacting this badly and this way, that drug was designed to give him a rash and some problems sitting still but not violent stomach upset."Â  Finally the young man leaned back against the sofa and closed his eyes.Â  Kristin looked over at Bruce and Lucas and asked Lucas to go get her a wet towel out the kitchen.Â  The older woman leaned over and pulled her blood pressure cuff and stethoscope out of her bag just as Lucas returned with the rag.Â  "Michael I want you to lay down on the couch on your back and relax."  
  
Michael grimaced a little but did as he was told.Â  He felt the cool cloth lay take a place against his hot flesh and opened his eyes a little bit just as the woman placed a thermometer in his mouth.Â  She pulled up his shirt sleeve and wrapped the blood pressure cuff around his upper arm and then placed the scope in her ears and took his pressure, 180 over 100.Â  His pressure was high but that was what the doctor was figuring on based on how he looked.Â  She took the stethoscope and placed it around her neck and took the cuff off his arm and gave him a half smile as she reached for the thermometer, 103.5.Â  "Okay Michael time for some questions and answers.Â  I want you to tell me exactly what you feel at this moment?"  
  
He opened his eyes and tried to focus on the woman but the truth was his eyes must have been playing tricks because he saw three of her and wasn't sure which one he should be speaking too so he just closed his eyes and whispered, "You don't want to know, any of you."  
  
"Michael fighting me is not going to help and I do want to help so again how do you feel?"  
  
"Well for one there are three of you sitting there and my head feels like I just let Bruce bounce it off the side of the house.Â  My stomach is just barely staying where it's at and I've got enough pains in my side to bring a meter up to the top of the Empire State Building, plus I feel like I am hot enough to cook a lobster on.Â Â  What's wrong with me?"  
  
Kristin shook her head and reached to pull his shirt up about mid-way up his chest.Â  She placed the scope in her ears again and listened to his breathing, no congestion so no kind of respiratory infection.Â  She sat silently for a moment when she noticed Lucas beside her.Â  Turning to look at him all of a sudden it hit her, that had to be it.Â  "Michael listen to me, I want you to tell me on a scale between one and ten how bad the pain is when I press a spot on your stomach okay?"  
  
He nodded slightly and tried to watch as she placed her hands over an area in his lower right abdomen area.Â  Fairly quickly she pressed deep into his stomach and Michael let loose with a heart-wrenching scream, "Ahhhhhhhhh!"Â  Kristin patted his shoulder and eased him back down and said, "I'm sorry Michael, but I had to be sure."Â  She lowered her voice and leaned closer to him and spoke in a whisper, "Can you hear me if I talk like this?"  
  
The young man nodded and Kristin continued, "Michael you have a badly inflamed appendix, you need surgery immediately.Â  We have to get you to a hospital."Â  The man shook his head in the negative and Kristin straightened up.Â  She looked over at Lucas and Bruce and decided she needed to be able to talk freely with her unwilling patient.Â  "Lucas can you and Bruce go out to the dock or something for about 5 minutes or so, it's important."  
  
Lucas shrugged and looked over at the older man standing above him saying whether they could or not.Â  Bruce came over to the man on the couch and looked down into his pained and sweat drenched face and waited for him to nod before he motioned Lucas out the back door and followed him.Â  After they were safely out of ear shot Michael attempted to sit up and another wave of nausea hit him.Â  Kristin helped him throw up in the trash can again and then lay back on the sofa.Â  She re-wet the towel and began wiping his face with the cool cloth and began trying to reason with this young child and would be man.Â  "I want you to listen to me carefully Michael.Â  I understand that you don't want to acknowledge your problem but the truth is that you're very sick and if we don't get you into surgery immediately you won't be alive to spend your lousy money."Â  Michael again shook his head and this time said, "No, we won't quite."  
  
Kristin threw the rag down and got up and looked down at him with the glare she was famous for.Â  "I'm only going to explain this to you once.Â  If we don't operate and your appendix bursts, which by the way I'm surprised it hasn't done all ready, you will die and there is nothing any doctor in the world will be able to do about it.Â  Once your appendix bursts you won't even have time to wonder how you'll die, it will be violent and painful."Â  She sat down and gripped her enemies/patients hand in hers and spoke softer to him.Â  "Michael I know you want this money and truth to tell I wanted Lucas to give it to you so you'd leave, but even if you got it now you'd never make it back to the mainland, it would be touch and go in the helicopter we would transport you with.Â  You came out her for money Michael, but can you honestly say it is worth your life?Â  You have a chance now to turn this around to stop this from becoming a disaster, please let me help you."  
  
The man opened his pained eyes and stared at Westphalen for a long moment before he said in a whisper, "I want to talk to Luke".Â  The doctor nodded and went to the door and called Lucas and Bruce back to the house.  
  
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Lucas and Bruce stepped back onto the porch and Kristin moved to stand next to her son.Â  Bruce moved a few steps away and Kristin directed Lucas to come sit down with her a moment.Â  He sat and told his mom, "I'm about done with the money transfer, it is easier now that Michael isn't watching me.Â  We should have them out of her in another half an hour or so.Â  How is Michael though?"  
  
Kristin placed her hand on her son's and looked at him with solemn eyes.Â  "Lucas at first I thought he was reacting to a drug I put in that last peace of cake, hoping to throw him off so we could get out of here but he's not.Â  Michael is suffering from appendicitis and needs surgery.Â  He is fighting me on it but the truth is that if he did leave now he would be lucky to make it down to the dock before he died from poisoning when his appendix burst.Â  I am trying to convince him to let us get him to a hospital and surgery but it is not turning out as an easy task.Â  He is wanting to talk to you."  
  
Lucas slowly nodded his head and rose out of his seat.Â  He stepped over to Bruce and said, "Michael is asking for me, may I see him?"  
  
For the first time all day the older man nodded without hesitation and Lucas moved into the house while Bruce and his mom stayed on the porch.Â  Crossing the room he knelt down beside the couch and stared at the pained face of the person who was holding he and his mom hostage and forcing him to break the law.Â  Slowly Michael opened his eyes and Lucas did his best to smile, even if he didn't hold any special feelings for this guy he knew what it was like to be really sick and know no one cared, "Hey Michael how ya doing?"  
  
"Lucas how is the money transfer coming, are you almost done?"  
  
Lucas replaced his smile with a look of pure hatred and steel and nodded toward the man.Â  Michael nodded and smiled but said, "You know Luke don't judge me too harshly, I do have reasons."  
  
"There is no good reason, you have me breaking the law to get you a bunch of money you didn't earn and are probably planning on terrorizing poor and innocent people with."  
  
Michael slowly shook his head and said, "No Lucas, listen to me, before it is too late.Â  Bruce and I would never have hurt you or your mom but we knew if I came right out and asked you to help me you would have refused, and truthfully the less you and your mom know the better.Â  I'm going to go against the rules here and tell you more than I should, because if you're mom is right then I have a very slim chance of surviving the next five minutes.Â  Lucas almost six months ago the US Government found out about a children's abuse and slave market in the Middle East, a new outfit that is killing and selling more children than ever before.Â  Because of my colorful past I was approached to go undercover and discover a way to stop this outfit but the more I got involved the less likely it seemed to be able to stop them, however I did find out I could buy the outfit out and then casually make the chief investors vanish.Â  The cost of the buy out is 300 million dollars and the only way I could get it was to take it.Â  The government is aware of what I'm doing but can't fully show support of it.Â  Have you put a connection together yet of the names of the accounts I told you to take the money from?"  
  
Lucas sat back and thought about that a moment and shook his head.Â  Michael seemed shocked but made no mention of it.Â  "The names are all illegitimate companies, covers for illegal activities.Â  I kind of figured who better to help stop an illegal operation of children being sold than crime figures."Â  Michael did his best to raise his hand and Lucas grasp it and leaned closer, "Lucas if I don't make it you have to make sure the transfer goes through, the children need to be free.Â  Help them Lucas, please."Â  Lucas slowly nodded and got up only to be stopped by Michael voice, "Lucas send Bruce in here and I'll get rid of him.Â  Tell your mom after he is gone to go ahead and do what she has to but Lucas it can never be known why I was really here, it is imperative; even if it means I have to die."Â  He nodded slowly and headed back out on the porch.  
  
He just stepped out the door when he saw his mom by the railing and Bruce several steps behind her.Â  He came over and gripped his mom's hand and told Bruce that Michael wanted to see him.Â  The older man nodded and moved inside while Kristin turned to her son, "Lucas what happened?"  
  
"Let's sit down mom, you're never going to believe me."Â  Over the next twenty minutes Lucas told his mom everything that Michael had told him and after he was finished sat back and waited for her reaction, he didn't have to wait long.Â  "Lucas, do you believe him?"  
  
The young man rose and stared out at the horizon and then slowly nodded.Â  Kristin got up and came over and touched his arm and said with more determination than he had seen in a while, "Then you take care of the money and I'll take care of Michael.Â  I know of a private hospital that is not far from here, and they owe me a favor.Â  Create some new ID's for Michael and I'll contact the hospital and get the helicopter here in less than half an hour.Â  I'll do the surgery that way there won't be any questions and we won't tell anyone but your dad who he is, everyone else he's just a friend from college that stopped by to see you and got sick.Â  Okay?"  
  
Lucas nodded and headed into the house when he stopped and stepped aside as Bruce came out with all the weapons.Â  He stopped and looked at Lucas and Kristin and said, "Thank you" before turning and heading for the small boat moored to the dock.Â  Both mother and son stood and looked as it departed into the sunset and said a silent prayer before Lucas moved inside to check the computer and Kristin moved to see to her patient.Â  As he sat at the computer Lucas thought how ironic the day had been, he and his mom had started out captured but in the end helped capture an illegal child abuse and slave outfit.Â  


End file.
